Still processing....

The killings at Virginia Tech are horrible and disgusting.

I'm reacting to them on many levels. I'm an EMS provider, I'm a former Federal Officer with a lot of tactical training and I'm also a college teacher.

Ugh! Heavy stuff!

I promise a lot more words soon. I really need to get it out and here's the place.

I just need to process it a bit more.

--maddog

Call me Noah.

I just finished a stint at the volunteer house that extended about 8 hours longer than planned.

It rained over 6 inches in less than 24 hours.

I've been busy! I'll have details soon.

--maddog

RIP Mr. Vonnegut

The modern author who has had the most influence on my life and outlook has passed away.

If you haven't read anything by him, do so. If you have, do so again. It's worth it.

--maddog

Fun Birthday Run! (Brrrrr!)

As I mentioned in an earlier post. I ran the Ocean City, MD 1/2 Marathon on Saturday, April 7th.

Here's what it was like:

That's me, running into the blizzard! The snow was beautiful!

Good times.

--maddog

Ad sense?

I've been contemplating trying to make some money off this thing. It certainly would move me to write some more. I've checked a few other blogs and see that some of you are using Google's Ad Sense program and one or two have more specific ads.

I have a few questions:

People with Blogs that have ads: How much are you making? Roughly? Is it worth it? Any suggestions?

Readers: Is my blog being Ad-Free an important factor? Will you be totally turned off and accuse me of "selling out" if I put Google's Ad Sense into my blog?

I'm leaning more towards Ad Sense. When I've seen it in people's blogs, it looks pretty unobtrusive.

Let me know what you think by email or comment below.

Thanks,

--maddog

Ah, the beach! Sand, Sun and Snow!

I celebrated my birthday by running 13.1 miles in the snow at the beach. Yay fun!

Hopefully, I'll have some pictures for you soon.

--maddog

Older (Wiser?)

Today is my birthday!

I'm 6 squared!

--maddog

EMS Today 2007 Blogmeet?

Ok, kids! EMS Today 2007 has begun. Before I dash off to a work-related event, I want to see how many bloggers will be in town.

On Friday night, I propose we have a blogmeet at DSX, it's a sports bar across the street from the convention center at 200 Pratt Street.

I'll be there at around 6:30-ish an I'll be hanging around a while. I'm tall, bald and wear glasses. Come introduce yourself and have a beer! Let's see how many blogger and bog-readers are going to be in town.

This'll be neat.

PhillyDan suggested it and I hope to see him and everyone else there!

--maddog

Ecto? Just Testing

I'm trying out a new 3rd party blogging tool called Ecto.

We'll see how well it works. I really don't like having to write my blog through a web browser. nor do I like using a word processor to write and then cut and past. Too gunky. I have been using Firefox but, again, the web browser thing prevents me from writing off-line.

Ok, Enough of the test. Let's publish!

--maddog

Why I hate the new Blogger (part II)

Well, I just wrote up a post and sent it by email and it didn't work.

I'm forced to use this stupid, clumsy web-interface that still does not support Safari.

Here's the text of the message I tried to send:

"Well, since Google (TM) has taken over Blogger, none of the 3rd-party clients or applications I use to post to my blog work. Never mind that I've been using them for 3.5 years.

Crap.

That's the MAIN reason I haven't been posting so much. A lot of cool things have happened. Before, It was a matter of writing it up in my journal software (where I've been working on other things, including a few manuscripts) and hitting "publish."

Well, NO MORE!

Now I'm forced to use a Google (TM) portal which Still does not recognize Safari.

I'm writing this one by Email.

Sigh! "

The message sent out successfully, according to my e-mail client. It never made it to the web page.

Apparently, Google (TM) wants everything done through their web portal. Or they don't like the subject line.

I know I'm getting all this for free but, I'm so frustrated, I'm ready to dump and delete the whole blog!

Any advice?

--maddog

Physics

I've been hella-busy lately. Sorry about that. I have a ton of posts that I haven't published yet. See, I got a new computer and Google/Blogger forcibly switched me over to their new format. This means that my old application on my old comptuer won't work with the new blogger. I now have to get an internet connection, log on to blogger via Firefox (it doesn't support Safar yet) and post that way.

Bah!

Meanwhile, I have 2 items to share:

1. Who's coming to EMS Today, 2006 and should we arrange a "BlogMeet?" Email me or hit the comments.

2. I ran a small vehicular accident today:


Amazingly, the driver was completely unharmed! I checked him twice and he was truly uninjured!









--maddog

Search Term of the week!

"amputee having sex"

Wonderful!

--maddog

...With his service pistol...

One of the cops in my town died.

He did it with his service pistol.

I wasn't his closest friend but we got along pretty well. I have no idea how he got down this road but it sucks.

He did it with his service pistol.

He died by his own hand.

He did it with his service pistol.

He's gone

He did it with his service pistol.

Cops everywhere can understand how disturbing that is.

He did it with his service pistol.

I'm very upset. Herself and I talk about it (one of the 1,000 reasons I love her).

He did it with his service pistol.

There's something particularly disturbing to police when another officer kills herself/himself with their own service weapon. This is the gun is issued to them by and owned by the city/county/state/agency that gave them their police powers. It is the physical representation of the trust placed in them. This is a trust to carry and wield the power of deadly force and to wield it wisely. This is the trust placed in the officer to make the right decisions every time!

He did it with his service pistol.

When he/she turns that weapon on himself/herself, it is a violation of that trust on many levels. The trust to use that force wisely, the trust to know oneself, the trust to call for help when needed.....

He did it with his service pistol.

Any officer of the law can feel this tragedy. Especially as it comes from the end of the symbol of that trust.

He did it with his service pistol.

I may not be a healer, but I'm in the profession of healing.

He did it with his service pistol.

This can't be healed. If only I had known....

He did it with his service pistol.

It hurts me everywhere. It's a sore that hurts no matter what I do. There is no salve for this.

He did it with his service pistol.

He's gone and has left a jagged, painful hole in his absence.

He did it with his service pistol.

Louis, What have you done?

--maddog

No, what's YOUR number?

Two guys were walking back to their apartment when they got jumped by a gang of kids.

The police called us in to check out one of them. When we arrived, the police were rushing out of the apartment on their way to the next instance of violence.

My patient is a native Spanish speaker with a severely swollen face. Otherwise he's OK. He doesn't want to go to the hospital.

But he likes me!

"What's your number?"

"Well, If you need us, call 911."

"But what's your number?"

"911"

"What number do I call if I want you to come to my house?"

"911!" (I'm still thinking my Spanish is not up to par.)

"But what if I want you to come to my house? What's your number?"

"Nuevo-Uno-Uno(911 in Spanish) es el numero para los paramedicos (...is the number for the paramedics)!" Perhaps his face is swollen to the point I can't read the nuances of what he's trying to tell me.

"No, no, no! What's YOUR number?"

"Nine-One-One!!"

Bean puts her hand on my shoulder: "Time to go!" She doesn't speak Spanish but she knows what's going on.

All the way back to the station:

"Maddog's got a Boyfriend!...Maddog's got a Boyfriend!...Maddog's got a Boyfriend!..."

Oh Crap!

--maddog